Shaun Wane will name his rugby league Ashes squad today but he’s already dropped some big hints and confirmed one man’s inclusion.
That man is recent Rob Burrow award winner Mikey Lewis with the Super League Grand Final Man of the Match confirmed to be in Wane’s squad, by Wane himself.
The England rugby league head coach spoke to the BBC after Saturday’s Grand Final and admitted that Lewis will be one of the 24 players he selects, whilst also casting more doubt over the inclusion of Man of Steel Jake Connor.
Wane explained that personal accolades such as the Man of Steel or Super League Dream Team don’t enter his head when it comes to selection, insisting that he just knows ‘who the good players are’.
The England coach explained: “I don’t think about Man of Steel and Dream Team. I don’t know how they pick it and I know people go on about it but it doesn’t my enter my head. I’m a rugby man so I know who plays well when I watch a game.”
On Connor, he added: “I know Jake Connor is a good player and Mikey is a great player. Whoever I think can perform against Australia in that first Test will be in that 24 and they will be playing in that first Test.
“The Dream Team and Man of Steel, I don’t know how they pick it. I don’t know who is in the Dream Team, I just know who the good players are.”
Grand Final changes England selection, admits Shaun Wane
Having noted that Mikey Lewis was a ‘great player’ and noting Jake Connor as a ‘good player’, that was already a hint on his preference but Wane would then double down further as he assessed Lewis’ Grand Final performance, confirming he’d be in the 24-man squad.
“Towards the back end of the game he was very good, Mikey,” explained Wane.
“I thought he had a quiet start but he was very good today. He scored a try but he’s always been in the squad for me and he’ll be in the squad again. He’s a good player, there’s no doubt about that.”
The Grand Final proved that Lewis can perform on the big stage and it also saw some stellar performances from a number of other Hull KR players and Wane admitted that his selection might change on the basis of that game.
“A little bit,” he admitted, adding: “I’m going to go home and watch it again but the people I thought would do something, did something.
“I thought it was a great game for Hull KR, I thought we (Wigan) were off today but it changes my selection slightly.”
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